British supermarkets are donating a tiny fraction of their surplus food to
charity compared with those in other European countries, it has emerged.

Retailers and suppliers in Spain donated 118,000 tonnes of food last year
compared with only 5,900 tonnes given by their equivalents in Britain,
according to an authoritative study. The food industry in France donated
100,000 tonnes, Italy 72,000 tonnes and Poland 64,000 tonnes.

Frank Field, the former Labour welfare minister who is leading an inquiry into
food poverty, called on the government and supermarkets to work together to
emulate the success of France and Spain in ensuring